Between Angels and Insects
by Trayne
Summary: [It's about a revolution in your heart and in your mind.] A series of ShinoHoku drabbles: silly, sexy, sweet, angsty, and in no particular order. Tension [They just wanted an excuse to touch each other.]
1. 19: Sore

Author's Note: This will be a series of drabbles about Aburame Shino, Tatsumaki Hokuto, and all the dynamics in their...er, relationship.

Disclamier: Naruto and all related characters belong to Misashi Kishimoto. Hokuto and every other original thing is mine unless stated otherwise.

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19: Sore

Shino entered the hospital room silently as always, figuring the occupant would be asleep, and indeed she was. She laid on her stomach, arms folded beneath her head and loose, dark emerald hair splayed wildly about her, the distinctive white streaks framing her face seemingly blending in with the stark sheets and providing a contrast to her... deeply tanned back...

Shino inwardly groaned. He had not expected Hokuto to be laying there half-naked before him, and he wondered why he always seemed to end up in these kind of situations around her.

"Enjoying the view, eh?"

Distracted by her bare back, Shino's usually observant skills failed him, and his shaded eyes locked with the honey-colored one that peeked out from under haphazard bangs accompanied by a sly smirk.

"Don't enjoy yourself too much, bug-boy. I know, you're thinking I'm laying here all ready for you an' all..." The teasing tone of her voice made Shino's brow twitch ever so slightly. "But I'm waitin' on Hinata. _You'll_ do just fine, though-"

"Hinata has been delayed," Shino said quickly. "She asked me to tell you that she'll be late."

"Ah..." Hokuto directed her gaze in front of her and sighed, though Shino noticed she couldn't do even that without wincing. The bruises were gone from her back and most likely her front, but the process of restoring the natural flow of her chakra was proving to be a difficult and painful process. He could tell she hated being cooped up in this sterile environment day-after-day, with even the slightest movements causing her muscles to scream in protest...

...If that were the case, then how...?

"You gonna give me a massage or what?" Again, Shino had to take his gaze from her bare back to her eyes, as now Hokuto had her face towards him curiously.

"...I was wondering... why is your shirt off?"

"Feh. I was hot. It hurt like a muthabitch, but I took it off, and I ain't 'bout to put it back on anytime soon." Hokuto tilted her head. "Well, since you're here still... Would ya see if it's any better?"

Understandably, Shino hesitated. This girl was giving him permission to touch her. The thought made many others run through his head, but then again, this particular girl was the chakra-oozing waterfall-nin who happened to drive everyone - even his kikaichu - crazy.

However, in her current condition, his kikaichu weren't drawn to her nearly as much, so he had to take a seat in the chair by her bed and place his hand on her back. Extending a bit of his own chakra and silently issuing a command, the insects crawled from beneath his sleeve and onto Hokuto's back. She twitched slightly, and her skin shuddered, but other than that she didn't move or protest. Under any other circumstance, she would have been screaming bloody murder and running around like a madwoman, not that she would have let his bugs crawl all over her anyway. He remembered her saying that's it not that she's _afraid_ of them so much as _irritated_ at having little crawly things all over her that were too small for her to pummel.

It was only a few moments before the kikaichu crawled onto his hand and back inside of Shino, having no interest in someone with repressed chakra that they weren't ordered to destroy. However, Shino's hand lingered, and eventually he even began to move it, sliding his palm slowly up and down, his fingertips pressing into the dips and curves of her spine.

"Mmm..." Aside from her quiet moan, Hokuto remained uncharacteristically silent for a minutes, as did the ever stoic Shino, lost in his own thoughts. Compared to when he first met her, he never would have imagined this dynamic and gregarious kunoichi would end up lying in a hospital bed, letting him touch her like this. And he never thought he would ever touch another person for no reason but to touch them.

"S'no good, huh?" Hokuto had turned her head towards him again. "Usually your bugs go haywire for my hot bod, but they don' seem interested now. Guess my chakra's really screwed up, huh?"

Shino nodded. Hokuto's excessive amount of chakra had to be restored very slowly, as even her body wouldn't be able to take the shock after having nearly all of it blocked.

"...I really hate this." Hokuto's next words were muffled, as she buried her face in her arms. "Can't believe how freakin' weak I am now."

"...You're only human..." Shino said quietly, then added at her scowl, "'Heavenly dragon-child' ninja or not. We all have our strengths... and weaknesses. We can't ignore one or the other.

"...Besides, it's important for you to rest every once in a while."

"Instead of pickin' fights and runnin' from the chunin, huh?" Hokuto's shoulders moved a little bit in a shrug. " The funny thing is I love bein' sore after a good workout. A sign that you've worked hard, y'know? But this kinda sore I don't like... laying here 'cause I lost control and Neji had to beat my sorry ass.

"...Say, Shino? Are you sore all th' time? With those bugs always comin' an' goin'?"

Most of the villagers rarely bothered to speak to Shino, let alone ask if his clan ability caused him any pain. The only time he ever talked about it was once to his team, explaining to Kurenai-sensei, Hinata, and Kiba that the kikaichu left and entered his body through the pores they could open up. It didn't hurt much, and since he had these insects since birth he was used to the feeling.

"...I'm used to it," Shino answered, feeling like he'd said enough to Hokuto for one day, and not wanting to reveal anything else.

"...So, you gonna do something with that hand or what? You're gettin' me real antsy here."

Abruptly, Shino removed the hand that had still been rubbing Hokuto's back and stood up, shoving his hands in the pockets of his jacket. "Hinata should be here soon-"

"Hold up! Before you go runnin' off on me... could you take the rest of this blanket off? I'm... really warm now."

Sighing with exasperation, Shino turned and pulled the thin blanket down from where it had been resting at the small of her back...

Hokuto buried her face in her pillow when Shino was gone, unable to laugh but her shoulders shaking madly. He had left in a hurry and undoubtedly red-faced after throwing the blanket back over her, discovering that the discarded shirt was actually a discarded gown, and she had been wearing nothing underneath.


	2. 31: The 'L' Word

A.N.: Most of the drabbles I have planned out are, like, angsty. I wanted to focus more on humor! Ah, well, who cares when this one has some hot girl-on-girl action? XD And before someone asks, _kushiage_ are Japanese-style kebabs- those deep-fried balls-on-a-stick you see periodically in anime.

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31: The 'L' Word

Taking a breather from sparring, the two sat side-by-side against a tree; silently save for the sounds of Hokuto tearing through whatever meaty snack she had brought along. Having already finished her rice ball, Hinata was absorbed in her thoughts, and it wasn't long before she began press her forefingers together repeatedly in her characteristic sign of nervousness.

"Somethin' buggin' you, Sweetness?" Hokuto asked nonchalantly as she chewed on a piece of pork from the _kushiage_ in her left hand.

"Ah…well…I was thinking," Hinata paused, choosing her words carefully and trying not to stutter to avoid a scolding from the boyish girl beside her. "You don't seem to have a problem telling people what you think about them, Hokuto-chan."

"Damn straight. What're you gettin' at?"

"Well… Do you think it's right to tell someone what you think of them, no matter what it is?"

"Che, of course!" Hokuto waved her snack around as she began to explain. "If someone's being as asshole, you have every right to tell 'em so. If you think someone's wrong about somethin', tell 'em! I've told ya before, you need to speak for yourself an' not let those kinds of people step all over you! 'Sides, if talkin' doesn't work, you could always beat 'em up."

"But…but what about if it's someone you…you like?"

"Eh?" Hokuto's _kushiage _dangled from her teeth as she now had her arms crossed behind her head.

"I mean… is it right to tell someone that? Even if they don't really know you or… or really notice you?" Hinata's pale eyes clouded, her gaze directed at her lap where her hands now rested. "Even if you're not really important, and there are lots of people more important to the one important to you? Even if-"

"Oi," Hokuto interjected. "What've I told ya about puttin' yourself down? Look here, Sweetness, telling someone how you feel has nothin' to do with what's right or wrong. If ya feel that way, that's how ya feel, and if you feel like tellin' that important someone, then tell 'im. If he's important enough that he matters that much to you, then _that's _what matters, to hell with what anyone else thinks. Y' don't know whether or not it would actually matter to him, but once you tell him, he'll know regardless. Really guys are childish pricks who only care about what they want an' feel… well, most of 'em anyway. And ya never know how the one important to you will respond.

"To ignore a true feeling like that is about the most assholish thing he could do, besides thinkin' you're joking. But if ya feel that strongly about him, you'll keep telling him, you'll keep feeling that way, 'cause that's how _you_ feel, an' nothin' can change that. He may not realize it that day or the next, hell, it could be years, but with all the shit that happens in life one day he _will _know that there's one person out there who he meant more to than anything else, and if he does nothing about it, then he's a fucking moron.

"An' if the guy doesn't notice you or somethin', I break his limbs until he does." With that, Hokuto resumed consuming her snack.

Hinata smiled faintly as silence reigned again. A breeze blew over them under the shade of the tree, playing with her short deep violet bob and Hokuto's wild dark green ponytail.

"…Hokuto-chan?" Hinata said after a few minutes.

"Mm?" The older girl looked at the younger out of the corner of her golden-honey eye, her head tilted upwards as she was chugging water from a canteen.

"…How… How long have you been in love?"

Hinata jumped when Hokuto rather loudly spurted out water, then began coughing and pounding her chest.

"Hokuto-chan!" Hinata frantically began pounding her back. "I-I'm sorry! Are you alright?"

"Why…you…" Hokuto swiftly grabbed Hinata's head in a headlock and began grinding her knuckles into the girl's scalp. "I dunno what th' hell you're talkin' about!"

"But…but I thought you and Shino-kun-"

"Shut up already!"

"_Itai…_!"

Before long, Hokuto released Hinata and jumped to her feet, rotating her arms as she walked back out into the clearing. "Alright, Sweetness, time to get back work!"

"_Aa…_" Hinata got to her feet as well and brushed herself off, following Hokuto but stopping when she noticed the girl had her back to her, arms at her sides as she seemed to be watching a butterfly that was fluttering by her intently. "…Hokuto-chan?"

"…Right." Hokuto had her eyes closed as she turned around to Hinata, but opened them as she smirked, dropping into her stance for the Mouken. "Let's go. Gotta toughen you up for when you tell that important someone!"

Hinata nodded, a smile on her face as she dropped into the stance for the Juken, then went on the offensive.

_It's not just you, Hinata. …I need to get stronger, too._


	3. 9: Under the Shade

A.N.: It's not hard for me to think about Shino's character as I'm pretty used to working with the characteristics. But when it comes to actually writing Shino… (sigh) I hope I get better. This is really me practicing and getting used to writing the characters of _Naruto_.

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9: Under the Shade

The Aburame clan is renown throughout Konoha as being one of the most reclusive, and when a member is occasionally seen, nothing more is revealed about them as they are always hidden behind high collars and dark glasses.

Aburame Shino is no exception, and throughout his life from when he was a student in the Academy to when he became a genin and during the Chunin Exams, the many whispers about him did not go unnoticed. His stoic disposition and association with insects always made him the 'creepy' one to his peers, and after blowing off the arm of the Sound nin during the preliminaries, that reputation only grew.

Shino was not one to really look too much into who exactly he was, but behind that veil of mystery and darkness he was free to observe, as no one could look in but he could see out. It was years before he could see that, to a few that were not of his clan, he was not just some obscure nobody.

Though he often butted heads with Kiba, in time the Inuzuka came to understand and appreciate Shino's strengths and intellect. The insults stopped, and Kiba never questioned Shino's orders when on missions, haven given him his full trust. In turn Shino could see that under Kiba's rough and tumble exterior he was in fact very compassionate and fiercely loyal, and that he was wise enough to not pick fights he couldn't win.

Hinata, as timid as she was already, was quite frankly frightened of Shino when they first came together as a team; he was taller, serious, and seemed to bore holes through the Hyuga when he would turn to look at her through his shades. After a while, though, she grew less and less afraid and became a little bit bolder. Shino was not one for talking, but when he would speak up, Hinata often would too, and the two shared a special kinship in being the two ninja who often went unnoticed around others.

His sensei, Kurenai, could be just as enigmatic as he was, but she did care for her team and Shino as well. She respected his tact, observation skills and dedication, as Shino never hesitated to assist with training or say a stern word when needed. Kurenai was not known for being emotional, and most saw her as a strict teacher, but Shino could always see when his sensei was upset or happy, and a part of him felt accomplished when he saw the pride in her eyes when he would lead his team on missions without her.

He gained more recognition among the other genin of the village, as they too would not shy away from him on the missions where they all came together. Shino regarded them as more than just comrades and felt comfortable working with as a team. He may have been just an ant to the village, but with his peers they were a colony, strong and effective.

Yet still in the shadows he stayed. When alone, he could not be found in the village but under the canopy of the forest, in his own world of quiet and gloom, with the only countless insects as his company. He would immerse himself in their secret language, being as he thought he was: an Aburame, an enigma, a hive and silent master to millions under his shaded veil.

One day, Hokuto came crashing through the forest, upsetting the many life forms to appear before him with her hands on her hips, looking at Shino through half-lidded eyes and her lips quirked to the side. He looked back at her, a slight frown his only visible expression, though he was more curious than annoyed at her sudden and disruptive arrival as she wasn't ranting and raving.

After a few moments she sighed and tilted her head to the left. "Come with me for a sec." When Shino didn't move, her eyes slid back to his face and she sighed in frustration, her right hand scratching the side of her head in agitation. "There's this field with a bunch of butterflies an'… uh, stuff I guess you'd be interested in."

Shino stood, but just placed his hands in his pockets.

Hokuto growled. "Look, a little sunshine wouldn't kill you, ya know. I mean, geez, after a while doncha get tired of being here all th' time? It's all dark an' freakin' depressing."

That was Hokuto; noise and chaos and wild and bright. She once thought Shino was blind, until he told her the color of her eyes. Then she called him sneaky for all the times he caught her in various states of undress and she thought he couldn't see her. Shino knew that she knew he wasn't blind, but that's how she was, always joking and teasing and playful with him. For some reason, he was never invisible to her, and not once did she ever flinch away from _him_, though the same could not be said for his kikaichu. If anything, she was always near enough to him to poke or nudge or grin at.

Yet Shino could see there was a large part of her that was furious and afraid of her ultimate fate; a deep, dark shade she kept hidden under a blanket of light.

Shino looked up, and really noticed that it wasn't as dark as he thought in the forest, as there were several small beams of light that pierced through the canopy that cast the vast shadows.

"…Very well." Shino said at length. Hokuto grinned, no, _smiled_, and they both headed to the place she indicated.

Behind his collar, Shino's lips turned upwards slightly.


	4. ADIDAS

A.N.- So… like, my one reviewer said he/she would be checking everyday for updates… Sorry that I disappointed once again. Also, I think I'm gonna stop numbering these drabbles, as most of the ones I had planned out I don't really feel like doing. Lastly, a friend's characters will be making an appearance in this drabble… but not their debut…

A.D.I.D.A.S.

Shedding the last of her clothing, Hokuto crouched and licked her lips in anticipation. She had been eyeing the yellowtail in this stream for a while and was determined to fish one out today. But before she could dive in, a voice stopped her.

"Hokuto."

She nearly started, then smirked as she turned around to the familiar voice. "Caught me at a good time, eh? Shino, you _naughty_ thi- guh!"

The waterfall-nin's face began to heat up as she took in the leaf-nin's dripping wet form. Her eyes were level with his broad, bare chest, and she watched as beads of water trailed slowly down every slight dip and curve of his abs, around his bellybutton, to descend beyond the towel that hung dangerously low on lean hips she just wanted to CHOMP on…

"Hokuto."

Hearing hear name again, the flustered kunoichi looked up into Shino's eyes – wait, his _eyes?_ – as he approached, while she was frozen in place. "Your advances on Hinata are becoming bothersome," Shino continued. He grabbed one of her wrists; his towel fell; his other hand grabbed her waist and pulled her_ nude_ form against _his_.

"It's become apparent that you need to be taught how to feel like a woman again…"

Hokuto's eyes grew impossibly big for her face. Then Shino moved in a _certain_ way.

"Ara!" The girl thought her eyes crossed, and was suddenly aware of the blood beginning to trickle out of her nose….

* * *

"… -chan going to be alri…"

"Hm, wonder what…. –ming about…"

"Don't wanna… iggin' know… Oi! Monkey!"

The toe of a boot nudged her sharply in the side, and Hokuto opened her eyes with a loud snort.

_Wh… what th' 'ell…?_

Four blobs stood above her sprawled out form (which had abruptly stopped twitching and drooling), and after a few moments they distinguished themselves. Long silver hair with a pretty but grouchy looking face…. Red hair, an eye patch, and a grin… long dark hair and worried ivory eyes… and a blob with sunglasses…

"_Owa!_" At her outburst, she jumped up and pointed her finger at a certain Aburame, who just looked at her calmly. "What the HELL are ya doin' _dressed_?"

Shino raised an eyebrow.

"If ya did that more often, I wouldn't have to mess with Hinata!"

Both of Shino's brows rose.

"Hell, I thought you would enjoy getting' her in on it!"

Hinata began to look faint.

"… Crap, it was just a dream, wasn't it?"

"H-Hoku-chan… Wha… why were you…?" The poor Hyuuga couldn't take it anymore and somewhat gracefully fainted, though Shino caught her.

"Dammit, Shino, see what ya do ta me?" Hokuto began to fuss at him while she fussed over Hinata, though the boy had no idea what he had done to get the green-haired ninja so worked up.

Iga, who had his arms crossed, held his chin thoughtfully, closing his visible eye as his grin growing wider. "Ah, to be young and full of budding hormones…"

Muramasa was about to say, "If yer done makin' incoherent noises, can we go now?" but at Hokuto's outburst he just sighed and began to walk away. "No wonder she was smiling like a goof." He ran a hand through his long platinum hair, eyes closed and a brow beginning to twitch as he listened to the comments made. "Damn weirdoes…"


	5. tension

…This one's weird, as it's pretty out of place with the inclusion of a certain loudmouth among other things (like a sucky title). Still, I've been mulling it around and figured I may as well get it written. I'll go back and revise once I feel like it.

Tension

The only sounds in the training area were the dull thuds of fist on flesh. Three pairs of eyes watched as blows were exchanged and blocked at a furiously increasing rate. The spectators to this vigorous exercise didn't dare say anything to distract the combatants, and they watched with different expressions; one with amusement, another with worry, and the last with growing irritation.

At length, Uzumaki Naruto, whose bright blue eyes had narrowed into slits, sighed in frustration. "This is so weird," the blonde growled.

"What do you mean?" Inuzuka Kiba, who sat to his right, was grinning wolfishly at the sight before them. "They're having a ball."

"Eh? But they're trying to kill each other!"

It was a known fact to the group of young ninja that whatever was going between Aburame Shino and Tatsumaki Hokuto was reaching a breaking point. All of a sudden, Shino couldn't seem to tolerate Hokuto's presence, and the Falls-nin in turn had even taking to avoiding and ignoring him when they did happen to come into contact.

Theirs was an odd relationship, even more so that the ones known but unsaid among the group of chunin and one jounin. The bond between Neji and Tenten was subtle but there, one of mutual respect and something else no one but the two understood. No one knew what happened to tip the two into being more than friends, but they had a feeling it wasn't as violent as this.

Kiba wondered idly what it would take for Ino to accept her attraction to Shikamaru, try as she might hide it beneath vanity and he behind indifference; and for Sakura to get over that bastard Uchiha and realize that Lee was more than devoted, body and soul, to her. And…

The Inuzuka boy looked past Naruto briefly to Hyuuga Hinata, whose troubled milky eyes flitted frequently from the passionate sparring before her to the oblivious blonde boy beside her and back.

Kiba shook his head and closed his eyes. "You really are clueless, aren't you?"

"You think you're so smart, huh, Kiba? Then you give me one good reason why they agreed to this!"

"Easy." Kiba shrugged, returning his attention to the match as a sweeping claw from Hokuto managed to catch in Shino's shirt and unclasp a few buttons. As Shino turned to dodge, he grabbed her arm and managed to twist it behind her back; but Hokuto's hips squirmed as she moved her legs into position, and in Shino's hesitation he almost didn't let go quick enough to avoid the skillful and flexible kick she delivered.

Really, the fight should have been short, as in previous spars Hokuto would charge aggressively while Shino dodged and distracted her until his kikaichu were in position to force her to surrender. This time, though, the two purposely dragged on the fight, with Shino hardly using his trump card and Hokuto not striking any pressure points. It was rare for the Aburame to even use taijutsu for this long and for the Tatsumaki to not finish the fight quickly, but the answer was obvious to Kiba.

The air was thick with the pressure of a storm from the two ninja and the clouds above, and to something else only his over hyper sensitive nose could detect.

"They just wanted an excuse to touch each other," the Inuzuka continued.

"What?" Naruto's eyes opened fully, and he uncrossed his arms from behind his head as he looked incredulously at Kiba. "That's stupid! They don't need to spar to do that. I mean, I could touch… I dunno, Hinata and not have to spar with her." To prove his point, when Naruto's eyes fell on Hinata as he spoke he put his arm around her shoulder and slightly pulled her closer against him. Oblivious to Naruto, the Hyuuga heiress visibly reddened.

"See? I don't need a reason to touch Hinata!"

Kiba sighed to himself and shook his head again, then looked up in time to see Shino grab and consequentially take off Hokuto's flimsy vest, returning the favor from when she had ended up tearing off his hooded jacket earlier and leaving her with virtually a sports bra for a top. Somehow their grappling ended up with either clothes being forcefully removed or someone making somewhat suggestive movements.

"Alright kiddos, I think it's time we get going," Kiba said as he rose from his position.

"What do you mean?" Naruto absently helped Hinata to her feet as she seemed pretty feeble all of a sudden, but kept his wary eyes on Kiba. They narrowed suspiciously. "…Oi, is there something you're not telling me, Kiba?"

"Maybe when you're older…" Kiba looked up as the trio walked away and left Shino and Hokuto to their devices, and noticed that the storm clouds that had been gathering all day looked ready to burst.


End file.
